Gene cloning, recombinant expression, and bioassay of an allatotropin in Spodoptera litura Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Background Allatotropin, a neuropeptide found in several invertebrates indirectly regulates vitellogenesis by stimulating juvenile hormone biosynthesis by the corpora allata. Here, we cloned and expressed the gene encoding allatotropin of Spodoptera litura (tobacco cutworm), a polyphagous pest in th...

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Published in:Journal of basic & applied zoology 2021-10, Vol.82 (1), p.1-10, Article 44
Main Authors: Mamtha, R., Kiran, Tannavi, Chaitra, B. S., Saraswathi, Saraswathi, Sowrabha, R., Rao, Karthik V., Manjulakumari, D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Allatotropin
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Corpora allata
Egg laying
Entomology
Females
Glutamic acid
Hydrophobicity
Invertebrates
Juvenile hormone
Juvenile hormones
Life Sciences
Molecular weight
Nickel
Nighttime
Pest control
Pests
Prokaryotic expression
Proteins
Spodoptera litura
Vitellogenesis
Zoology
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Summary:Background Allatotropin, a neuropeptide found in several invertebrates indirectly regulates vitellogenesis by stimulating juvenile hormone biosynthesis by the corpora allata. Here, we cloned and expressed the gene encoding allatotropin of Spodoptera litura (tobacco cutworm), a polyphagous pest in the Asian tropics. This study is aimed at studying the effect of recombinant protein on egg-laying in females of S. litura as it could be used as a method to control the pests from a reproductive perspective. Results The protein encodes a full-length open reading frame consisting of 173 amino acids and was rich in arginine (10%) and glutamic acid (9.3%). The theoretical pI of the protein was 5.47 and a hydrophobic signal peptide of 22 residues was predicted. The recombinant allatotropin was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE 3 ) and purified by nickel exchange chromatography. The molecular weight of the recombinant protein was about 37 kDa and expression levels up to 5.3 mg/ml were achieved. Injection assay in vitro indicated that allatotropin induces egg-laying during the first scotophase after treatment in females of Spodoptera litura . Conclusion Allatotropin induces egg-laying in female moths and could be a potential molecule for the development of control strategies against Spodoptera litura . In this strategy, the protein if delivered to the females before mating may lead to accelerated egg deposition much before she encounters the male moths, thus the population being checked as the eggs deposited by the females are unfertilized. Thus, the present work could lead to the development of a protein based biopesticide resulting into a species-specific and an eco-friendly way of pest control.
ISSN:2090-990X
2090-990X
DOI:10.1186/s41936-021-00242-x